The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-07-20
SPHERE AND WILLOW.
Professional Baseball Teams at
Work-The League Pen
nant Race.
Chicago Still Playing at Wonderful
Speed-Its Present Eastern
Trip.
TcH1cAGo CORRESPONDENCE. !

League pennant has been narrowing down
10 the three present leaders in the race, De-
troit, Chicago and Boston, and the pros
poets for last seasons great struggle be-
tween Detroit and the White Stockings By
ing fought over again are improving with
almost each day that passes. No one seems !,
more strongly convinced than President
Spalding that such will be the result, and
when asked Saturday how he thought it
would all end, he said: Nothing that
l know of now can stop us.
We shall win the pennant in
gallop if our men continue 10 play the ball
they are playing now, and even though We
should meet with misfortune of any kind,
such as the disabling OF our players, post
poned games through unfavorable wealth.
er, or any of the other ills ball club is
heir to, we shall, think, beat Boston and
New York out at the finish, and take a
good second place, We usually have a
pretty fair share of luck, however, and
by the 10Th day of August / expect TO see
Anson's men in the LEAD. / predicted
before the team returned to Chicago
on June that. before it left on
in second place. You see that the pre-
diction has been verified. AS for Detroit,
the team is playing a strong and winning
game just at present. IL may continue to
do so. AS YOU see by the result of last
weeks games, however, the team is not
too strong to be beaten by New York. There
is an element of grit and nerve in the New
York team that one cannot help admiring,
and if they should steadily improve from
ibSaa ra1 Of he
not surprise me in the least. On the con-
trary, l rather anticipate that such will be,
the case"
us there any prospect that the Associa-
ton or League will consolidate this fall;
that indianapolis will drop out; or that il
the event of the failure OF the two big or
CARNATIONS to become one, that the st.
Louis Browns will be admitted to the
League circuit?"
We'll, it is as vet little early to discuss
such matters, and yet l am free to confess
that have thought of all OF them. In the
first place, the matter of consolidation is IN
exactly the same state IL has been in for
six months past save that the demonstrated
superiority of the st. Louis and Baltimore
clubs has made it pretty clearly apparent,
that they are out of their class in the
ASSOCIATION. At no time since the
matter of consolidation has been consid-
cred or proposed has the time for it been
so propitious. / can not say on the whole,
though, that / am as anxious for il as
many newspaper correspondents have rep
resented me to be. The League is without
question the greatest athletic and amuse-
ment organization of its kind in the world
to-day. Look where you will and find any
organization if you can, with aggregate
salary lists of S300,0O0 a year, and ex-
penses of fully three quarters of a million.
Point out any enterprise that can draw
$4,000 people to its performances in a
single day, and l will grant that it is q
greater organization than the National
League of American Ball Clubs. There is
no comparison that / can see between the
lie ague and the Association.
would the League make any concessions
TO Won der Abe, such as The privilege of
playing Sunday games, or of selling liquor
upon his own grounds, in the event of hisA
being admitted"
No, SIR not q concession Of any kind.
If Mr.. Won der Abe wants to enter the
League circuit next year, he may be able,
in the event of the unanimous agreement
of the League Presidents, TO do so, but if
he comes in he must do so under exactly
the same rules that govern us all, and no
Others"
THE GOOD EFFECT OF TOTAL ABsTI-
NENCE.
of total abstinence as practiced by the
White STOCKINGS this season President
Spalding said: IL am no prohibition crank,
but l am a believer in temperate, careful
living on the part of men whose business
is TO entertain the public as athletes. I
felt that it was my duty and that il would
be to our interest to have squad of players
who would chall -nge admiration because
of their good habIs on and off the field.
Int a &c do IN ba
and / am not ashamed TO discuss it. There
is man in our team upon whom this new
order of living las worked q wonderful
change. home that was not as happy as
ii should have been because of overindul-
gence has been completely recognized,
and on what L believe 10 he an enduring
basis. A more overioyed little lady than
this players wife Is not 10 be found in this
city. They are saving money, and were
never before so contented. If the result
of the temperance plan had been only to
reform this player 1 should have been quite
satisfied. But it has had other splendid \
results. We have young men in the club
mere boys, some of them who take as
much pride in their temperance record as
they do in their ball playing record. That
is saying a good deal. but it is only the
truth, and know what am talking about.
When asked the boys not to
drink anything until the close of the
season, and they promised me that
they wouldn't, 1 said we should adopt
any plan we thought best TO discover
whether they were keeping their pledges to
US. 1t gives me good deal of satisfaction
TO say that no man has violated his pledge.
There is rivalry among them not only to
keep liquor away. but to so conduct them
selves that there shall not be the slightest
grounds on which TO rest suspicion.
The White Stockings are now upon their
second Eastern trip, which they opened last
week by defeating the Philadelphia team
three straight games. They play Washing
ton. New York, Boston, and Detroit three
games each before returning home for -
game in Chicago. on July %, with Boston.
Con CREGAN.